CAFE2U BLOG

Simple Latte Art: A Step By Step Guide

Friday, May 30, 2014

When it comes to latte art, it’s very much all in the pour. It might sound simple, but you’re going to need to develop some serious multitasking skills to get everything just right. If you’re interested in one of Cafe2U’s coffee franchise opportunities you will be trained as a barista, but if you want to have a go before then, read on.

Rather than rushing straight in and getting milk and foam everywhere, it’s a good idea to get your head around just what you need to do first. We spoke to our expert Barista trainer Jon Skinner, who offered plenty of really useful advice to help you get a perfect Rosetta every time.

It’s very much a case of needing to do two things at once, but as you practise more and more you’ll find that it becomes second nature – but at first it might seem anything but!

Before you try using milk, practice with water. You can do this at home before you take on a coffee franchise opportunity. This will let you get to grips with the process without wasting a lot of milk. You will need to pour and shake the jug, gradually and steadily raising it so that the milk (or water) continues to pour at a steady rate even when it’s less full.

As you swing the jug from side to side, you will need to wait for the milk to ‘load’ up in the side of the jug before changing direction and swinging it to the other side. A common mistake made by beginners and people with brand new coffee franchise opportunities is to do this too quickly, panicking and trying to rush the process: this will not work. The side to side motion needs to be more rhythmical, almost lazy; be patient and let the milk set the timing of the oscillations.

You will need:

A jug of fresh, cold foamed milk, with micro-sized bubbles and a gloss on top

A freshly made espresso with a good layer of crema (this is a product of the oils and sugars in the bean itself, and the method of drying at the plantation, the roasting process, and how long ago the beans were roasted will dictate how much crema you will get)

A wide mouthed cup (a 12oz size works well)

1. Position

Hold the cup at a slight angle, with the back slightly raised up so that the edge of the cup which is closest to you sits slightly lower. This fans the coffee out in the cup and helps in the development of the leaves for our Rosetta.

2. Begin to pour

But not from the edge! You will actually need to start pouring into the centre of the cup, something which is especially important with smaller cups. You can rest the edge of the jug on the cup at this point. You’ll need to keep pouring into the centre until the cup is about three quarters full.

3. Give a wiggle

Now here’s where it gets arty. You’ll need to shake the jug from side to side a little bit, and you should start to see the leaves begin to form. Continue to shake and pour into the centre and you’ll see the leaves move away from you on the surface. After about 4-6 shakes you’ll need to begin to bring the jug back towards you, whilst still shaking, only this time a slightly tighter oscillation.

4. Don’t rush

The speed is a vital part of making sure your leaves are defined and your latte art looks how it’s meant to. It’s an almost naturally slow movement, with metronome like rhythm.

5. Create the stem

As you reach the edge of the cup you’ll want to draw back through them with the milk to create the stem. This should be a slow, more elevated pour which will keep your leaves defined and your stem slim.

And Jon’s last bit of advice? Keep practising! Pro Baristas pour hundreds of drinks a day, and that's their practice time. Use your time wisely and your coffee franchise opportunity will be offering the best lattes around in no time.